


It's a Case!

by Calix



Category: Rune Factory 4, rune - Fandom
Genre: Cute, F/F, F/M, Mystery!, the mystery is afoot!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calix/pseuds/Calix
Summary: With preparations underway for the new spring flower festival, things seemed to be looking up in the town of Selphia after Ventuswill's return. Only for something sinister to happen and Leon is blamed. Will Frey be able to step up as a true detective and help Illuminata find the true culprit or will Leon be one of the true culprit's victims?
Relationships: Frey/Leon (Rune Factory)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20
Collections: Rune Factory Big Bang





	1. Author's Note

Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoy this story! I worked very hard on it so that it could be ready for Rune Factory Weeks, a celebration of Rune Factory's 14th anniversary, on Tumblr and AO3. I worked together with 18 other writers and over 20 artists in this big bang so that 20 new COMPLETED rune factory fanfictions, as well as 20 art pieces, could all be released at once!

I would like to take this moment to thank a couple of people for putting this all together and allowing me to join in on such a fun experience.

First off, thank you to BlackRoseMii! My artist for this story and the creator of the beautiful cover.:

Please check them out here: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/_blackrosemii_) [Deviantart](https://www.deviantart.com/blackrosemii) [Tumblr](https://blackrosemii.tumblr.com/)

They deserve all of the love! 

Next, I would like to thank tatertotarmy for organizing this event! It was a lot of fun and I hope to do something like this again!


	2. Criminal!

Selphia.

A gorgeous town within the Kingdom of Norad and home to one of the Native dragons. It’s a bustling world of intermingling cultures; humans, dwarfs, and elves all lived peacefully surrounded by the natural beauty of the surrounding plains. “Wow… when you offered up the idea for a new festival, I knew that it would be a hit but… I didn’t know that it would be this much of one!” said a blonde man with rimmed glasses. He looked around the town square (which was beautiful in its own right) full to the brim with flowers. Their scents and stray petals floating about in the wind giving the town a magical look to it.

“I know, Arthur! I mean just look at it!” replied the Prince’s twin-tailed companion. Her arms were spread wide as she gestured to the surrounding area in excitement. “I didn’t think that we would be able to finish preparations in time but the whole town took to the flower festival idea with so much enthusiasm… we might as well hold it today!”

A soft smile spread across Arthur’s face. “You say that now but if we actually did then you more than likely wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. You would be running around trying to finish everything by yourself last minute. With the Sechs Empire beaten and Ventuswill back, you of all people, Frey, deserve to take a break. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

Despite the fact his words were said with good intentions, the mint-haired woman knew when Arthur was issuing a subtle threat. She had helped him run Selphia in his place for a few years now and he was always ready to be the voice of reason when she tried to take on to much at once. Now if only she could do the same with him. So far the only way she had managed to accomplish this was with something cute. “Yeah, yeah… don’t worry. I won’t do any more than donate more of my own flowers to the cause and maybe jump on to help someone else for a small bit.”

Satisfied, Arthur started a slow walk around the square. He browsed the vast array of bouquets and even stopped to sniff a couple. “That’s good to hear.” He said, “What is left for the preparations anyway?”

“Uh...” Frey dug into her pockets and pulled out a piece of paper with several things listed on it. “Well, Volkanon is finishing up the bouquets for the square with the help of Clorica and Vishnal. Meg has decided on the music she wants to play to help everyone have a calming atmosphere for when the festival begins. Lin Fa has enlisted several flower vendors to come and a lot of them have shown up today to start preparing their stalls for tomorrow. Porcoline is making some food...” She trailed off and when she raised her eyes from the document she shared a knowing look with the Prince. “Luckily, Dylas said he would help keep Porcoline from eating everything...”

“That just leaves Illuminata to finish her floral stage display at Dragon Lake and some fun handmade souvenirs for tourists that Blossom is making with the help of Doug and Xiao Pai.” She said, as she read over her notes. “Oh! Amber is helping Illuminata out of course. With her wings, she’s able to set those flowers up rather high.”

“I bet Amber is having the time of her life right now. She gets to enjoy this warm sunny day and play with flowers.” Arthur paused and turned fully to his friend. “What about the other townsfolk? Also… we may want to check on Illuminata. Even with Amber helping, setting up a floral display for a stage is not an easy task. She may need some added assistance.”

The mint-haired princess smiled. “All of the other townsfolk have been jumping on the projects I already listed or just helping out in general. Everyone is just as busy as the bees wandering from one flower to another.” Frey replied as she took the lead as the pair made their way towards Carnation Flowers. “But you are probably right. I doubt Illuminata would deny a pair of idle hands.”

As they rounded down the steps, a tall elven woman stood outside putting together an elaborate display of flowers while humming an upbeat tune to herself. Her long red braid flitting along behind her as she worked. “Come to see an artist finish up a true masterpiece?” She said as she emitted a confident laugh when the two humans got closer. “Well, Illuminata, the greatest detective, will not disappoint!” The elf exclaimed as she gestured dramatically to her work. “What do you think Frey? Arthur?”

Long braids of intricately woven flowers were wrapped around a couple of tall pillars. Vases held the more ornate bouquets and there were even a couple of shrubs cut into the perfect likeness of a dragon. Charm blues, pink cat, lamp grass, and more all adorned the decorations with professional practice. Several smaller floral displays were strewn about. Each one unique to the flowers that were used to make them. Frey whistled in appreciation and Arthur was in awe. “These are absolutely gorgeous, Illuminata. You really put a lot of work into these.” He said as he eyed the displays with a keen business eye. “Would you like me to possibly work with you on setting up a floral catering business? I know several clients who would love to have works like this in their stores and homes.”

“Haha~! Of course, they are gorgeous! Only a GREAT detective with a keen eye for detail can make arrangements like these.” Illuminata said as she posed proudly. “As for the business… I’ll look into it. That isn’t a bad idea.”

“Why are you making these over here though? Isn’t it going to be hard to transport all of this over to the lake?” Frey chimed in. She looked at all of the designs with a bright smile on her face. Making new recipes in her mind with the inspirational ideas she was getting from Illuminata’s works.

The elven woman shrugged in response. “Not really. We have a wagon to transport the bigger things but the braided ones can be carried by hand as long as someone isn’t too rough with them.”

Arthur gently put a hand on one of the shrubs with a look in his eyes that only meant he was stuck in a cuteness trance. “Well, speaking of that, do you need any help getting these over there-”

“EEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Two high pitched screams cut the prince off and all three of them looked in the direction of the sound. “A CRIMINAL!” Illuminata yelled, dropping what she was holding to race off towards the general store.

“What was tha- Illuminata! Wait!” Frey cried as she dashed after her friend with Arthur on her heels. All thoughts of a normal festival were fading. If there was a ‘case’, there wasn’t going to be anything normal about it. They rounded the corner and skidded to an abrupt halt. “What happened here?”

Two people were on the ground. A red-headed dwarf and what used to be a bright green-haired girl. Doug and Amber lay strewn about on the cobblestone floor in front of the general store. Their bodies covered head to toe in red paint. Little handmade trinkets and souvenirs littered the area from the knocked over table along with the tools used to make them. Paint buckets of various colors tie-dyed the floor around them in a variety of colors. The shelf that they had been stationed on was toppled over in a heap. Leon was nearby with his eyes widened slightly in shock of the sight. Illuminata stood before the scene looking at the two people on the floor in an odd silence. “There has been… a MURDER!” She exclaimed while whirling around to look in the direction of Arthur, Frey, and Leon.

“ugh… wait, WHAT?!” Doug yelled as he scrambled to sit up from his laying down position on the floor.

Amber’s upper body shot up with her lower body and belly still on the floor. Her face panic-stricken. “I’M DEAD?!” she exclaimed in shocked dismay.

“Huh? What? Amber- no! You’re not dead. I’m not dead. Neither of us is dead.” Doug stated in a flustered state. He looked up at Illuminata in annoyance. “The hell are you goin on abou-”

The elf woman cut Doug off by putting a hand to his mouth in a shushing gesture with a solemn expression on her face. “And to think that Amber… AMBER… is one of the victims...”

“Uh… Illuminata, don’t you think this is a bit much-” Frey began to say but she to was cut off as the woman stood back up to her full height.

“Our poor precious Amber… taken from us in such a horrid way,” Illuminata said as she clutched at her heart in despair. “Oh, and of course Doug.”

“HEY!” the red-haired dwarf growled out but the elf shushed him again.

“We must find the culprit. We must find true justice for Amber and Doug!”

Amber’s eyes began to tear up which seemed to stress the dwarf out even more as he tried to calm the girl down. “I’m dead… Lumie says that I’m dead...” The girl began to wail in despair.

Arthur stepped forward in an attempt to gain control of the situation. “Really, Illuminata? Isn’t a murder a bit absurd-”

“DON’T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!” The red-headed elf pointed at the prince in an authoritative manner. “This is a crime scene! Everything can be possible evidence!”

“But it isn’t a crime scene? Yes, an accident occurred but no one has been actually murdered.” Arthur said, attempting to be reasonable about the whole thing. He was trying his hardest but the woman was in full-on detective mode. No one stood a chance now.

Leon sidled up to Frey’s side and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders with his fan being held up in front of his face with the other. “Hello, my lady… should you even be here right now? It truly is a ghastly sight to behold.” His voice was smooth as silk as he spoke but his eyes sparkled with an amusement that Frey knew all too well. “To think that a murder would happen in Selphia… let alone two.”

Frey chuckled and lightly elbowed him in the side. “Leo, stop. You aren’t helping things.”

“Stop what, my dear? I am simply being a gentleman. A crime scene is no place for a lady. A maiden’s eyes should never have to bear witness to such an awful event.” The fox man’s smirk grew as he spoke and Frey couldn’t help the giggles he was eliciting from her. This whole thing was just ridiculous.

“Don’t play coy with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Oh, my lady, you seem to be so distraught. Look away! Look away!” Leon’s voice continued to remain even while he spoke as he pulled Frey’s head to his chest and her giggles began to turn into full-on laughter. A small blush gracing her cheeks due to how close she was to her love.

Doug rolled his eyes at his friends. “Mind doing all that mushy stuff after getting Illuminata back under control? I’m pretty sure Amber really thinks she’s dead.”

“What was that? I think I heard the faint voice of Doug…? Is he.. is he around still?” Leon lowered his fan. He turned his head to the left and right while pretending to try and find the source of the voice.

Frey freed her face from Leon’s bare chest and reached up to lightly tug on one of his fox ears. “C’mon, Leo. Stop it.”

The fox man looked hurt. “My lady, do you not believe me? Don’t you remember that in my time I was a Dragon Priest? Dealing with the dead was one of the honors that I had to help with many a time.”

“Oh god.” The mint- haired princess said, slumping against her boyfriend in exasperation. “Really? I bet if I ask Venti I’ll get a different story.”

“Maybe.” His fan was back in front of his face but Frey could just feel the playful smirk radiating from him.

“I’m dead.” Amber moaned mournfully and slumped to the floor. Completely ignoring Doug who finally decided to give up in consoling her. “I won’t be able to help Lumie with flowers anymore.”

As funny as this all was, enough was enough. “Look. I get that something happened but we should really clean this up before the paint stains the floor for good.” Frey said. She took a couple of steps towards the mess when Illuminata grabbed her by the shoulders and twirled her to stand right next to Arthur.

“You are right! Something did happen. The evidence is all right here.” the elf gestured to Doug and Amber and their slowly growing craft mess. “A murder is serious business.. but I, being the great detective I am, have already figured out who the culprit is!”

Doug looked up at the woman in annoyance. “What?”

“Really?” Arthur’s interest peeked and Frey had to admit that hers was as well. “We haven’t even been here ten minutes. You maybe even just glimpsed your so-called ‘scene’?”

“Avenge me, Luuummiieeeee...” Amber’s muffled words called out from the floor. Her arm outstretched.

“Amber! You. Are. Not. DEAD.” Doug exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

This whole situation was getting more ridiculous by the minute. “Well, who is it?” Frey asked. Today had started off so well. A new festival was going to come. The preparations were almost done and everyone seemed excited about it. Illuminata could be a hard nut to crack sometimes and Frey’s shoulders slumped at the realization she just had. There was no way that the elf had figured out what had happened. They had just gotten there. Doug and Amber hadn’t even been questioned. How is this in any way solved?

If she couldn’t reason Illuminata out of this case… then she would have to find out what really happened. Her list just got longer and Frey couldn’t help but sigh. Looks like she may be biting off more than she could chew despite her promise.

Illuminata chuckled darkly to herself. “It was… LEON!” She pointed right at the fox man who looked at her in surprise.

“Me?” He asked incredulously. Her accusation completely catching him off guard but that didn’t seem to deter him too much.

The elf smirked victoriously at him. “Yes, you! You are the murderer you foul fox!”

“Hey now, that’s a little harsh,” Frey said, cutting in and standing in front of the man. “Sure, Leon likes to prank people and get a rise out of others… but this is a little much even for him. He always backs off when the people he’s teasing start to get too uncomfortable. He’s very good at reading others.” Everything she said was true. After all, she was one of his favorite victims. Whenever she began to feel overwhelmed or as if her last button was about to be pushed, Leon would dial it back in. He would bring her back from that point before it was too late. Frey wasn’t the only one he did this with either. Kiel and Forte were also up there along with Doug and Dylas.

“Which makes him the perfect candidate for being a serial killer!” Illuminata exclaimed in confidence. “Murderers aren’t that simple to find normally. They can hide in plain sight and acclimate to a crowd of people with ease.”

Leon’s tail swished behind him in amusement. “So I’m the killer? Y’know, a good detective can’t just accuse. There is normally a lengthy investigation process. Looking for clues, questioning witnesses and victims… putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Where is your evidence, hm?”

“Must I say it again, that no one has been murdered?” Arthur said but no one seemed to pay him any mind.

“Of course I have evidence! After all this isn’t a normal mystery… It’s a CASE!” Illuminata struck a pose. The sun glinting off her monocle giving her a heroic air. Doug groaned and slouched back to the paint-covered floor. His fighting spirit long gone. He was stuck in this situation now for the long haul and he was just gonna take it at this point.

Arthur shook his head. “No, nooooo. This is not a case. It’s an accident. There is nothing mysterious about this.”

Leon’s ears perked up. His curiosity was peaked. “Oh? And where is it?” He asked looking a little too smug for the situation he was currently in. It was almost like he was relishing this moment. Then again, he probably was.

It was as if she had been waiting for him to say that. Illuminata grabbed Leon by the arm and started pulling him back towards her flower shop. “Everyone follow me!” She strode away with a confident gait. The woman was on a mission and she was not going to be deterred.

Arthur, Frey, Amber, and Doug watched as Leon was dragged to the flower shop (though it looked a lot more willing than Frey wanted to admit.). They eyed each other then back towards the shop. All of them unsure about what just happened. But once Illuminata was on a case, she would stop at nothing until it was solved. Everyone else was just along for the ride. Whether they wanted to be or not.

“Uh… what just happened?” Doug asked as he finally stood up and Amber slowly followed suit.

She still looked like a kicked puppy over her newly dead status. “Why did this have to happen now… why not before the next fishing festival?” Amber said as she trudged behind everyone else. Her shoulders were drooped and it was like she was trying to impersonate a zombie.

Frey sighed while looking at her friends. She was just as unsure of what was going on like everyone else. “I don’t know. But I guess we are about to find out.”


	3. Investigation

"Illuminata, are you sure that this is all necessary?" Frey asked while she surveyed the scene before her.

The elven woman nodded her head sagely as she replied. "Of course, Watson! It's only natural to imprison the key suspect in a murder case!"

"I have to agree with Frey. This seems like a bit much. I can't believe that we are even doing this." Doug said but was overpowered by Leon sighing sadly.

"To think that I can still hear the departed whispers of our dear Doug..." the fox-man said with his face downtrodden but the way his tail was wagging behind him told otherwise.

Since being dragged into the flower shop, the interior had been pushed around a bit to make a makeshift prison. Leon currently sat in an overly large crate with the word "jail" poorly drawn on it in crayon. Some jail bars were also added on the sides to complete the look. Amber and Doug sat off to the side of this cell with Illuminata pacing confidently in front of her "suspect". Arthur stood next to Frey and both were watching their friends as this makeshift interrogation unfolded. Leon... Leon was having the time of his life. It's been a while since Frey had seen him this entertained by something and he was the one sitting in the box. His ears were perked up. His eyes were dancing with a mischievous light. Nothing was going to stop him from enjoying this ridiculous moment to the fullest.

Illuminata stopped her gait and pointed at Leon. "Where you exactly thirty minutes ago?" Leon's smirk grew and, as he started to speak, Illuminata cut him off. "Who were you with? Why? Why did you do it? Our precious Amber was just an innocent bean!"

Leon waited patiently with his fan in front of his face until the elf finished the slew of questions. "Thirty minutes ago, I was on my way to the square to see if my darling, Frey, needed me to help with any other preparations for the festival. I passed Porcoline and Dylas on my way here and my my... you just jumped straight to accusations. Why, exactly, do you think I did it?"

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!" Illuminata yelled out victoriously. "A confession!"

"Whoa whoa, what?" Frey said. "How was that a confession?"

"He just said 'I did it'!"

"Yeah, but in a question asking you for proof of your accusation of the murders," said Arthur, who seemed like he had given up on his attempts on trying to make the situation normal again. All festival planning and preparation would have to go on hold until this "case" was solved. "Not as an admission of guilt."

"We WEREN'T murdered!" Doug practically screamed. 

Amber slumped all the way to the floor. "Now my only friends will be Pico and Dolce..."

Illuminata continued on as if they weren't even in the room. "But I do have proof! Exhibit A!" she gestured at Leon's tail and ears. "He is part fox!"

"Pretty sure that's just a lasting effect from being a guardian... I mean Dylas has a tail too." Frey replied skeptically. “Amber has her fairy wings…”

"Also foxes aren't really known to be murderers in folklore. More like swindlers, pranksters, or petty thievery. Just because he has fox ears and a tail doesn't mean that he murdered Doug and Amber." Arthur concurred. "It's rather rude of you to assume such a thing just on appearance alone."

Several holes were made against the evidence and thus exhibit A was debunked. However, this did not deter Illuminata. In fact, Frey and Arthur's excellent sleuthing seemed to have fired her up even more. "You are right. That was not the best evidence to present. Sorry about that." Illuminata stated while looking slightly chastised from that accusation. Though Leon didn't look too bothered by her words. If anything he looked even more amused than before. "There is more, I assure you! Exhibit B!" 

As she spoke, Illuminata pointed to a spot on the crate that looked like it had been smeared with red paint. "There is blood from the victims on the hems of Leon's pants! So much so that it scrapped off as he stepped into his cell!"

"There was paint everywhere. I have some on the bottom of my shoes." Frey said and she pulled up her foot to show the bottom for emphasis. "Leon could have heard the racket and came to investigate just like we did."

"In short, we don't know the full story. As of right now, we have two corpses and a bunch of false accusations." Arthur said. He pulled out a notebook and a pen. "If we want to find the culprit then we need to do more investigating."

Doug's eye twitched. The poor dwarf was covered in dried paint and for the past half-hour he had been nothing but ignored. They spent more time building the ’cell’ than they had acknowledged his existence. "How many times... do I have to say it? Amber and I are not DE-" Before he could finish, Leon cut him off by bringing a finger to the dwarf's lips.

"Shhhhhh... You're dead. You can't speak."

"ARE YOU KIDDIN-"

"Shhhhhhhhhh..." This time when Leon said it, he gently pats Doug on the head like he was soothing a small child. "Just rest easy. You are free from this mortal coil."

Ignoring their conversation but giving Doug a considerate smile, Frey addressed everyone in the room. "When Leon pranks someone, it's just to get a rise out of them. He would never go so far or let it get dangerous. After all, they are his friends. Why would he want to accidentally hurt his friends?" Frey nodded to Doug and Amber for emphasis before turning to Illuminata with determination set in her gaze. "Let me figure this out. I'll find the true culprit and bring them to justice for our dear departed friends!" 

Illuminata put her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowing at the two royals before her with skepticism in her gaze. Minutes passed with no one moving until the elven woman smiled broadly. "That's an excellent idea, Watson! Go gather all the evidence you can find and bring it back here!" she exclaimed exuberantly. "I'll keep a close eye on the suspect. No trickster fox will get by my deductive skills!"

Frey couldn't help but smirk. Illuminata was observant... but Leon was the definition of a sly fox. If he wanted to get away, then it wouldn't take much for him to do so. However, with how amused he looked right now, Frey knew he wasn't going anywhere. "Okay! Let's go, Arthur!" she said while exiting the shop. Leaving Leon to the whims of the redheaded elf.

Arthur followed with a nod. As they made their way back to the grocery store, he spoke. "So... do you think someone actually did it?"

The princess shrugged in response. "It's possible but I, honestly, think that it's just an accident that has been blown out of proportion. But..." she trailed off a little as the two rounded the corner to see the drying mess that was once the front of Blossom's store. "I can't say that I'm not having a little bit of fun."

"True that. This kind of thing is rather normal for Selphia. Someone always gets dragged into someone else’s shenanigans." Arthur said with a smile.

Frey stepped forward and looked at the scene of the crime. Paint was everywhere, along with various craft supplies for the trinkets that Doug and Amber had been making. Some were completed, a lot of them were ruined because they were covered in paint. The mess had spread even further due to the wind and animals walking around. Frey sighed. "We should probably clean this up while we look for clues. It'll just get worse if we don't do it now." She knelt down and started gathering the worse of the loose materials on the ground. The paint would have to wait until she could get some water to mop it up.

"Actually, shouldn't we go back to Illuminata's shop? The easiest thing to do would be to question Doug and Amber directly about what happened." Arthur replied but he also began to pick up the mess.

This made Frey laugh. "And just how are we going to do that? Illuminata is being so insistent on those two being dead that she would probably fine us for trying to 'bring them back from the dead' or something. You can't question someone who is no longer here." Frey paused as she noticed something out of place from the crafting stuff. She pushed her pile aside and made her way to the spot in the grass. Kneeling down to feel around since she couldn't see exactly where it was. "Also I think Leon would just play along with Illuminata anyway. There is no way that we would win against those two opposing minds."

Arthur nodded his head in agreement. "But we can question Pico because she is connected to Dolce. Why can't we do the same with-"

"BOO!"

Frey and Arthur cried out in surprise and looked up to see Amber had dawned a white sheet. She waved her arms at them while moaning like a ghost. "It is I... Amber! Why are you forsaking my final resting place!" She had deepened her voice and dragged out her words in a mocking impersonation.

"Where... where did you get the sheet?" Arthur asked as Frey went back to her searching. Smiling when she found the object she was looking for. It was a small trinket in the shape of a bear. Unfortunately, it was covered in red paint so she couldn't see the original colors that it had. There were several others like it on the ground along with flower brooches and other trinkets. A little way away closer to the Grocery store was another but this one she could recognize anywhere.

"Do not question the methods of ghostetry... ghostery... don't question ghosts!" Amber stumbled over her words and broke character for a moment but quickly regained herself. "Why are you disturbing my resting place?" she moaned out. Her attempts at being spooky not working that well.

The princess chuckled, "But how are we supposed to figure out what happened to you if we can't ask you questions?"

"You can't talk to the dead!"

"We can talk to Pico because she is haunting Dolce. If you are haunting us then we should be able to talk to you." Arthur said kindly. 

Amber's arms dropped to her sides. "I guess that's true! What do you want to know?" She gave in pretty much instantaneously and the two humans smiled at their friend. Frey was just glad that she wasn't sad anymore. Whatever someone said back at the shop must have cheered her up.

"What are the events that led up to your death?" Frey said as she continued to clean up. She pocketed the bear and stood back up to move to a different spot. 

Arthur fixed the upended table. He had begun putting the lightly tarnished trinkets on it as well as any of the good materials that hadn't been corrupted by paint. Which wasn't much. A lot of it was going to have to be thrown out. The large shelf that had been set up behind the work area was completely messed up. The thing that had made the entire mess in the first place. He waited until Frey noticed as well and they teamed up to set it right again. Starting to pick up the paint cans that were strewn about on the floor.

"Well, Doug was here with me in front of the store. We were making those thingies to give out to customers and travelers tomorrow for the festival. Lumie didn't need me for the flower display until we take it to Dragon Lake so I came over to help Doug and Xiao Pai." Amber said as she flopped to sit on the ground. The white sheet fluttering out around her. Only her knees and the tips of her feet were sticking out from under it. "We decided to do a flower brooch, some stars, and we tried to make that bear chain thing that Xiao always has. Only the bears would have a tiny flower by the ear. They were turning out so cute too!"

"What about Leon?" Frey asked.

Amber shrugged under her sheet. "I didn't see him until all of you showed up. He couldn't have been there long before everything got upended."

"So he probably wasn't there long before we were..."

"Huh... So then where is Xiao Pai?" Arthur asked. He straightened and looked around. "She wasn't here when the incident occurred."

"Xiao went to grab something from her house and on the way back she was going to stop at Porco's to grab us a snack. All this preparation stuff made us hungry." Amber replied.

Frey threw away the trash she had accumulated in a trash bin. "I bet it has..." Her own stomach wanted to make a protest but she fought it back. When was the last time she ate something today? "Still... It's been a little bit since she left. It doesn't take that long to run to the Inn and back. Maybe something happened at Porco's?" She said as she looked to the floor. Noting that there was indeed another pair of paint footprints leading towards the restaurant. One that did not belong to anyone who went to Carnation flowers.

They had left the crime scene unattended so some poor soul could have walked through the mess on accident but there was still a chance that it was the prints of the true culprit.

"It's possible. Shall we go investigate?" Arthur asked as he dumped the last of his trash as well. The storefront was now cleaned up save for the rainbow of paint spills. Hopefully, it would be able to wash away later. They didn't have the time to deal with it right now. Not unless they want their leads to go cold.

"Sounds like a plan," Frey said. She stood up and made her way towards the restaurant. A new suspect already at the forefront of her mind. The trio walked up the steps towards Porcoline's only to have to duck as a frying pan went sailing overhead.

"Come back here with that!" the gruff voice of Dylas echoed around the area as he chased Porcoline out of the restaurant and into the roads of Selphia.

The large man nimbly dodged Dylas and held the dish in question out of reach. "But it looks so scrumptious! I just have to taste it to make sure that it is good enough for the festival!" Porcoline exclaimed. He dived to the left to dodge Dylas again... only to dive into the waiting arms of Frey.

"There wouldn't be anything for anyone else if you keep tasting each dish you make!" Dylas roared, only to stop once he saw Frey grab Porcoline with ease.

The large man wailed. "No!" He tried to wiggle his way out of the twin-tailed princess's grip but to no avail. This was not her first time in chasing him and the hours she spent in her fields made it so her grip was ironclad.

"Hello, Dylas. Porcoline. I see things are going well with your preparations." Frey said with a smile. Arthur smiled at the two men as well and Amber giggled at the exchange.

Dylas sighed heavily but there was a look of relief to his features. "About as well as it CAN go when Porcoline and food are involved."

"How many dishes has he gotten away with?" Arthur asked with a smirk and straight-up laughed when the horse guardian groaned in dismay. "To many, I take?"

"More than enough... but there is still a lot that has been set up. We'll just need to work on some more appetizers and a few light drinks. We've managed to get through the heavier stuff... with a few casualties along the way." Dylas said. He took the plate of food from Porcoline and turned to head back into the restaurant. "But this wasn't for the festival. Xiao ordered this earlier but she forgot it. I thought she was going to come back for it but..."

He turned to look at everyone and they all shared the same look. Xiao had a habit of being forgetful. It wasn't surprising that this would have happened. Dylas stepped inside for a second and came out with the dish in a to-go box. "Is it possible that you could deliver this to her? I think she went back to the Inn."

"Of course." Arthur said while relieving Dylas of the box. "We were needing to talk to Xiao Pai anyway."

Dylas nodded his head before glancing down and arching his eyebrow at the girl in the white sheet. "Is that... Amber?"

"You... YOU CAN SEE ME?!" The green-haired girl exclaimed in excitement. She lunged forward and hugged Dylas tight. Almost knocking the taller man down. "Is it true? You can see me?"

"I- yes? Why are you wearing a sheet?"

"GUYS, HE CAN SEE ME!" Amber called out as she buried her face into Dylas's abdomen with a sob. "He can see me."

The horse guardian flailed. His hands moving up and down in an attempt to soothe the girl crying on him but at the same time not being completely sure how to go about it. "Amber... what? Are you okay?" Dylas said completely off guard. He looked at Frey, Arthur, and Porcoline. "What is going on?"

Frey chuckled awkwardly. "Long story short we are trying to solve a murder mystery. Amber is currently a ghost."

"But... she's alive...?" Dylas asked while gesturing to the clinging girl.

"Yes, but-" Arthur tried to elaborate but Amber's loud wail cut him off.

"No, I'm dead! Lumie said so! And so is Doug! We were murdered!”

Dylas looked back at the group with a concerned look. “You know what… I don’t think I want to know. I have enough on my plate as it is.”

“Shall we trade, then?” Frey asked. She lightly squeezed Porcoline, who laughed his signature laugh, for emphasis and Dylas removed Amber from himself.

“Sounds good to me.” The horse guardian said relieved. They traded humans and the trio started to make their way towards the Inn. “Good luck… with all of this.”

“Thank you!” Frey called back. The suspect getting more solid as the clues came into place. Next clue… the Inn.

The walk towards the Inn was short but enjoyable. As Arthur, Amber, and Frey passed the airship, several tourists stepped off. Their laughter and excitement at the decorations for the festival proving infectious. Frey couldn't help the smile on her face while they followed the new group. It was wonderful to see that her idea was bringing even more tourists to her new home.

Selphia had changed a lot since she came crashing down through Ventuswill's roof. It was a vibrant community with lots of new people coming and going at all times. To see so many people take part in her home and experience the joys that it has to offer, made a warm feeling bloom in her chest that she had a hard time describing. All she could really say was that Frey was proud of her home and all who lived in it.

The tourists stepped into the Inn and the trio stopped right before it. "Well, I heard Xiao Pai's greeting through the door so she is definitely in there," Arthur said while adjusting his glasses.

Frey nodded and stepped towards the door. "Yep, I didn't realize just how busy Lin Fa's place is right now. It's no wonder Xiao took so long to come back to Doug and Amber." With the other two following behind, Frey stepped through the threshold and smiled as a familiar voice greeted the group.

"Welcome! Oh!" Xiao Pai's voice carried over the buzz of all the people in the entrance room to the Inn. She smiled warmly as Arthur, Frey, and Amber (still in her ghost costume) made their way over to her. "This festival is going to be quite the hit, yes? Look at all of the people who have shown up for it!"

The entire room was packed which meant that the Inn had to be completely booked. "I know. I think this'll be our biggest festival yet. Who knew there were so many people interested in flowers?" Frey responded with a smile.

"I wonder if any of these people can see me..." Amber said, her head spinning to look at all of the new faces.

Before she even had the chance to talk to a few, Arthur gently grabbed the girl by the shoulder and held her in place. Even if it was just a sheet, there was a chance that she could scare off all of the potential business that had just arrived. "So Xiao, I take it you haven't had the chance to help out Doug with the souvenirs? It does look like you have a lot to handle here. Where is Lin Fa?"

Xiao Pai's smile froze in place at the mention of Doug and she laughed awkwardly. "Well... I was over their earlier, yes? But when I came to grab some of the thread from a vendor here Mama enlisted me to help out. I haven't been able to leave since."

Frey arched her eyebrow at the gray-haired girl. "Really? You've been here since you first arrived to grab the thread?" the princess said with her eyes narrowing at her friend. Xiao Pai squirmed under Frey's scrutinizing gaze.

"Yes, yes! It is rather busy right now, yes? I haven't had a chance to step away."

Arthur held up the dish that Dylas had given him. "Well then this Manju isn't yours? Dylas said that you had accidentally left it when you headed back to Blossom's," he said.

Xiao Pai froze. "I... uh, I was called back here...?"

"Hey, where's that panda charm you always have on?" Frey asked as she idly toyed with the one she had found earlier in her pocket. Just out of the gray-haired girl's view.

"What?" Xiao Pai exclaimed while quickly patting her sides for the trinket in question. When her hands came up empty, panic began to set in. Overriding that weird look she had on her face before. "Oh no! I must have left it at Blossom's, yes? I need to get it back! Papa gave that to me a long time ago! I can't lose it!"

"Actually, would you mind coming with us to Carnation Flowers? Doug moved all of the stuff there because of a little... incident. So he probably has it there." Arthur quickly said. His hand still keeping Amber from running off to spook the tourists.

"Yes! Please! I can't believe I left it behind!" the panic was clear and Xiao Pai was out the door before anyone could say anything else. All three of them had to run to keep up with the clumsy girl. It was rather amazing that Xiao Pai didn't trip over something or her own feet. That's normally what happened whenever she was in a rush like this.

They stormed into the flower shop with Xiao Pai at the forefront. She practically kicked the door in and it banged loudly against the wall. Everyone inside jumping at the sudden sound. "Doug, have you seen my panda pendant?" she asked with a slight bit of desperation in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Xiao... but you can't ask Doug any questions anymore..." Illuminata said. She quickly recovered and gave the group a somber look. "For you see... he's been MURDERED!" With the grace of an entertainer, Illuminata gestured to a paint-covered Doug who was still sitting on the floor of her shop next to Leon.

The dwarf waved to the newest arrival. "Hi, Xiao. Hope you've been having a better time than me." 

Leon shushed Doug with his fan again. A coy smirk playing on his lips as he spoke. "Dead men tell no tales."

"Put that fan to my lips again and I'm going to take it from you!" Doug growled out and he swiped at the fan but missed. The fox guardian was much faster.

"Uh.... what?" Xiao looked at everyone in confusion before turning to address Frey and Arthur. "Why is Leon in a box labeled jail? He is a good person, yes?"

"Only until proven guilty of this crime!" Illuminata yelled confidently. "Frey! Have you gathered the clues needed to incriminate the suspect?"

The twin-tailed princess stepped forward. "I can do you one better, Illuminata. I brought you... the true murderer!"


	4. Case Closed

Gasps of surprise came from Amber and Illuminata when Frey gestured to Xiao Pai, who still looked rather confused on what was going on. Leon’s eyes gleamed in excitement due to the turn in events and Doug slumped against the ‘jail’ crate in defeat.

"Interesting, interesting... Explain why you think Xiao is the true criminal!" Illuminata said, adjusting her monocle with a critical gaze on the acting royal before her.

"With pleasure!" Frey stepped up to the desk that acted as the spot where Illuminata made bouquets normally. Now there was a hammer to act as a judge's gavel and the braided elf had taken position behind it. With Arthur, Doug, and Amber acting as witnesses and victims, court… was now in session. “Now I had my suspicions about who the suspect was before investigating but what I found out will tell the true events of the final moments of Doug and Amber.”

“Oh, Ventuswill, kill me now.” the dwarf said.

Leon smirked. “Kind of late for that.”

“I thought ‘dead men tell no tales’,” Doug responded while rolling his eyes at the fox man, who laughed.

“I was a dragon priest. I can talk to the dead if I want too. It was my honor and privilege to help those who have departed finally move on if they got stuck.” Leon replied with such confidence that Doug groaned in dismay.

“I can’t tell if that’s you spouting bullshit or if that’s actually true!”

“QUIET IN THE COURTROOM! COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!” Illuminata called out while hitting the hammer on the desk just hard enough to make a loud noise. She was a strong woman. There was no way that she was going to accidentally destroy her table for this. “Detective Frey, present your case and we shall see who the real criminal is!”

Xiao Pai looked around the room with a worried look in her confusion. “But no one is dead…?”

“Just go along with it. This has been going on for a little while now. I tried earlier to mediate but Illuminata is definitely a determined woman when she wants to be.” Arthur stated matter of factually. He cleaned his glasses and leaned against the railing to the steps that led up to Judge Illuminata. The gray-haired girl looked around again only to settle on looking at the floor. She rubbed her arm absently and waited for the trial to continue. Still unsure of what was going on but deciding to go along with it anyway. If Arthur was then she could too.

“Gladly! Allow me to recap a bit since some of us here probably don’t know the full details as to what happened,” said Frey while she slowly paced in front of the desk. Making sure to look at everyone in the room at least once (It was a public speaking tactic that Arthur taught her and Frey knew it would work well in this situation.). “As Arthur and I were wrapping up checking on the preparations on the spring flower festival, we decided to see if Judge Illuminata, here, needed any assistance in getting her flower displays to Dragon Lake. When we arrived, she showed us the beautiful creations that she had worked hard on… Then there was a loud noise that came from the direction of Blossom’s general store.”

“Illuminata dashed over with Arthur and I not far behind… that’s where we saw the grisly scene. Amber… Doug… they were both gone. The only one there was Leon and ourselves. Now, naturally, the only living person at the scene of a crime would look like the key suspect. But that is not always the case!” Frey fixed a look at Illuminata as she said this. “He was questioned and that’s when Arthur and I went out to do our own investigating.”

“I doubt you could find much… that place was a mess when we left it,” Doug mumbled. His words only meriting Leon’s fan shushing him again and their fight over the fan continuing.

Ignoring the spat, Frey continued. “It really was quite the mess. Materials scattered, the table upended, paint everywhere, the trinkets the victims worked so hard to make were ruined… at least a lot of them were. Together, Arthur and I, set to work cleaning as well as going through the crime scene. It was during that that I found two clues.”

“The first being this panda trinket!” the twin-tailed princess pulled out the item in question and Xiao Pai’s eyes widened. “Now at first, this clearly loved key chain wouldn’t be out of place since it was being used as an example for what some of the other souvenirs were being replicated for. But this one wasn’t near the destruction. It was near Blossom’s shop by the crossroads and that’s where I found my next clue: Footprints!”

“There were a lot of footprints. You even said so yourself when I pointed it out on Leon.” Illuminata cut in, crossing her arms defiantly.

Amber jumped in between the two women and flailed her arms around playfully. “Don’t forget! That’s where I started haunting you, Frey!”

“I could never forget that moment.” the princess said with a grin and Arthur chuckled from behind her.

“Neither can I.”

“Wait, you started haunting Frey? Is that where you went?” Doug asked and his look of confusion grew when he actually looked at Amber since she came back to the shop. “Is that why you are wearing a sheet? Why would you just suddenly start haunting Frey? She’s trying to help us.” 

Leon couldn’t help the chuckles that escaped and he brought his fan up to try and mask his face.

Doug rolled his eyes. “Never mind. I know who put you up to it now.”

“Enough distractions! Watson, how were the footprints relevant to the case?” Illuminata demanded.

“Because of where they led. The panda charm was laying in the grass next to some footprints that were leading towards Porcoline’s restaurant.” Frey replied eagerly. “Once the majority of the mess was tidied up, the three of us made our way in that direction only to run into Dylas and Porcoline. Who confirmed that Xiao Pai had gone that way to pick up snacks for the three of them for their hard work!”

The gasps returned and Xiao Pai was now looking around. Anxiety was written all over her face. “I did say that I stopped by there, yes? But mama needed help so I went back to the Inn. I even ended up accidentally giving the snacks I had picked up for us to some of the customers.”

Frey grinned as she turned her full attention to her clumsy friend. “That much is true but you are switching a few of the events around. Here’s what actually happened!”

“Doug, Amber, and Xiao were all working hard on their trinkets when they got a snack craving! Also realizing that they were getting low on thread, Xiao offered to go pick up snacks from Porco’s on the way back from visiting a materials vendor at her Inn. So she went home, got some more thread, and ended up helping out for a lot longer than she realized at the Inn. When Xiao Pai realized this, she hurried over to Porcoline’s, grabbed the snacks she had ordered, leaving in such a rush that she didn’t realize that she had forgotten some of it. Then ran back to Blossom’s and in her rush, she accidentally bumped the shelf that had the paint and other materials. Causing it to come crashing down on Doug and Amber. Making their final moments quick… but colorful.” Leon snickered at Frey’s phrasing but she continued headlong into her story. “Realizing that she had just done something horrendous, Xiao Pai ran from the scene of the crime. Losing her panda charm next to the building, which probably got loosened by getting caught on the shelf that fell, and getting paint on her shoes. Thus a trail of paint prints leading towards the restaurant. Meaning… Xiao Pai is the true murderer!”

“WHAT! I did not kill anyone!” Xiao exclaimed at Frey’s incriminating words. “Amber and Doug are right there?”

Arthur chuckled. “I told you, Xiao Pai. That isn’t going to wor-”

“Do NOT touch the corpses! We have not had time to prepare them for a proper burial.” Illuminata practically roared when Xiao Pai almost touched Amber when she was pointing to the small girl.

The timid girl froze as everyone looked to the redheaded elf in shock. “Burial? No one said anything about a burial!” Amber cried out in dismay. The fact that she was a ghost no longer amusing.

“No one is getting buried!” Frey said in an attempt to mitigate the aftermath of what Illuminata had just said.

“That’s true…” Leon began. Then a mischievous smirk formed on his lips as he continued. “We could set up a funeral pyre in the square. There’s also a burial at sea. Not to mention using magic to return the bodies to the earth…”

“LEON!” Frey yelled over the frantic sobs of Amber, that had escalated, as Doug went back to try and console the poor girl. “You are not helping!”

“But it’s always good to know one’s options when they decide on how they want their remains taken care of…” Leon said with a shrug while he ignored the pointed glare that Frey was sending his way. “It’s a rather serious discussion that everyone has to think about.”

The princess whirled on Leon and he shrunk a little in his box at the fierce intensity behind her eyes. He wasn’t scared. Not by a long shot. The fox man was just surprised that he had somehow gotten this kind of reaction from her. His tail, once again, telling everyone just how amused by everything happening right now with the way it swished behind him.

“Remember… as a suspect that you have the right to remain SILENT.” Frey hissed and that got Leon’s grin growing until his pearly whites were out for everyone to see.

“I don’t think that’s the rule of this continent,” he said. Only to dodge down into his jail cell as Frey grabbed a ruined trinket and threw it at him.

“ENOUGH!” Illuminata roared. She brought down her ‘gavel’ several times onto the tabletop and this time she may have made a mark with how hard she had hit. “NO ATTACKING THE POTENTIAL SUSPECTS!” she pointed at Frey who froze in place as she was about to throw another trinket at Leon. The elf then pointed her gavel at Xiao Pai, once her voice had brought everyone’s attention back to the task at hand. “How do you plead?”

All eyes turned to Xiao Pai and the girl’s shoulders slumped as she sighed in defeat. “Yes… I am the one who knocked over the paint. But it really was an accident! I did not mean to hurt anyone! But I did intend to come back!” Xiao Pai said. Her anxiety growing with all of the eyes on her. “Frey is right. I went and got the thread, got hung up because of my mama, then rushed to get the snacks, and when I rush I get clumsier. When the shelf fell, no one saw me and so I went back to the Inn to get supplies to clean up but I ended up stuck. There are just too many customers for my Mama to handle on her own. Though I did not expect this kind of reaction to such a blunder.”

“Neither did I.” Arthur and Frey responded in unison. To which they both looked at each other and smiled.

“So… You admit to the murders of Amber and Doug?” Illuminata asked with an intimidating aura that seemed to radiate throughout the entire room. She leaned over her table and Xiao Pai nodded her head at the elf anxiously.

“Yes…?”

Illuminata’s eyes narrowed. “Then I sentence you… to community service! You must make more trinkets for the festival and clean up whatever Arthur and Frey couldn’t in front of Blossom’s store!” She said with finality in her voice. “Leon you are free to go!”

Xiao Pai raised her eyebrow at the elf shopkeep. “I was going to do that already, yes?” However, with the verdict cast, she was ignored.

“Aw, it was just getting exciting.” Regardless, Leon carefully stepped out of his makeshift prison while he spoke. “But I’ll head over to the Inn for now. Maybe I can find some more entertainment over there.”

He sent a wink to Frey who just playfully rolled her eyes at him. There might be some customers Leon could tease but she knew him well enough at this point to know that it was an excuse to go help Lin Fa. The innkeeper has been letting him stay in a room for free since he had awoken as a guardian. Even meals were included and Lin Fa refused to take any kind of compensation. So if he heard that she or Xiao Pai needed help then he would go out of his way to do so. Xiao Pai just had to deal with more teasing than Lin Fa did.

“Yeah, yeah. You go do that.” Frey replied with a smile before turning back to Illuminata. “Shall we go get your displays set up at Dragon Lake? Then, we could all work on souvenirs. This whole case took up most of the afternoon.”

“Excellent idea, Watson!” the braided elf exclaimed and soon everyone dispersed. 

Amber was ‘revived’ by Leon and she stopped crying now that she was alive again. Doug had his palm in his face the entire time that the fox guardian chanted some made-up spell. His method worked, regardless. Now that the green-haired girl was no longer upset, Doug made his way back to the General Store with Xiao Pai to see what they could do about the paint. Frey, Arthur, and Amber tagged along with Illuminata to get her displays to Dragon Lake. The creations were surprisingly sturdy despite being primarily made of flowers. Shenanigans ensued but not to the degree it had with the ‘murder’.

Soon night came and all that was left were a few preparations to do that could only be done on the day of the festival, itself. Which took off with no difficulties. Tourists were amazed by the flowers and their displays. The competition for the best flower had the town square packed to the brim as well as the concert that Margaret held at Dragon Lake after the showing.

Satisfied with how everything turned out and exhausted from running around during the festivities, Frey slumped down on a blanket that had been laid out on the beach in Dragon Lake. There were several others, along with chairs, so that anyone could just sit down for a bit to enjoy the music and flowers. A suggestion by Kiel that Frey was more than grateful for.

The princess sighed happily. Everything had turned out better than she had hoped even with the craziness that was Illuminata the day before. Amazingly, Frey got to enjoy the festivities with the townsfolk a bit instead of just making sure that everything went smoothly. The entire town worked together so that this new festival was a success and it warmed her heart that she lived in such a town with these extraordinary people.

Margaret’s upbeat tune turned into something slower. A calm soft melody that gently caressed over Frey while she laid out on the blanket and closed her eyes. This truly was a wonderful day.

“My my, a princess all alone during a festival. Now, this can’t do.”

Frey’s eyes opened again, only instead of the sky, Leon was standing above her with a soft smile on his handsome face. Despite having hoped to spend time with him, their schedules hadn’t permitted them the chance. When she had a moment then Leon was busy and when Leon was free then Frey was doing something. All-day the two had just held passing glances and playful touches as one passed by the other.

Leon gave her a low bow with the tips of his hair tickling her face. “Would my darling care to join me in a dance this lovely evening?” He asked, his suave voice acting like silk.

She didn’t give her love an immediate response. Instead, Frey took a few moments to take him in as he leaned over her. His hair framing his face and the flower petals dancing around him in the gentle breeze that has carried all day. Lifting her hand, she lightly twirled a strand of his hair around her finger. Playing with it while she kept her gaze on him and him alone. Leon’s smile growing a small bit as she did.

“I would love nothing more.” the princess answered softly once she felt that she had kept him in temporary suspense long enough. Leon offered his hand to her, like a gentleman and she took it.

He helped her up before pulling her close. His hands finding hers as he slowly leads them into a small but simple waltz. Frey smiled, allowing him to take the lead while being careful with her feet. Amnesia was a tricky thing. Her mind did not remember things but her body sometimes did. This seemed to be one of those cases.

They never left the confines of the blanket that Frey had claimed. Other couples nearby following their example and starting to dance as well. Frey leaned in close and rested her head on Leon’s shoulder. Her hands moving to wrap around his waist and his around her shoulders. The height difference could be amusing at times. The two moved into a slow sidestep, Just happy to bask in the closeness. As the song began to come to a close, the two came together and shared a sweet kiss.

When Leon pulled away, he couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged its way onto his lips. “Thanks for proving me innocent, darling, or else I may have been in that cell all day.”

“Anytime. I know the mischief my fox gets up too.” Frey laughed before pulling him into another kiss. If this was the reactions she was going to get then maybe she should get involved with more shenanigans before festivals more often.


End file.
